


The (Un)fortunate Lovelife of Ginsei

by NaClFairy



Series: Starless Genderswap AU [1]
Category: Black Star -Theater Starless- (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Romantic Comedy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24225487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaClFairy/pseuds/NaClFairy
Summary: Ginsei x fem!Gui.Although Ginsei never considered himself lucky, he didn’t think he was cursed either. That is until he started dating Gui. Now he felt more like a protagonist in a romantic comedy than a functional adult just looking for love. A glimpse into the various instances of the chaos in Ginsei and Gui’s relationship.
Relationships: Ginsei (BSTS) / Gui (BSTS)
Series: Starless Genderswap AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748560
Kudos: 9





	1. Love hurts, but so do doors

His eyes hurt. And his nose, and his jaw, and his teeth. All of Ginsei’s face was in pain. But his nose especially. 

Damn it all… He should have been out of here by now and getting a late dinner with Gui before heading home, not sitting in the break area backstage hunched over a garbage can.

“Ginsei, let me see.” Her voice was barely audible over the pounding in his head as a skinny hand moved the ice pack out of the way.

“How is it?” Because even talking hurt, he kept his question simple. Ginsei’s lip stung with each word and his cheek felt swollen.

This situation reminded him of a short story in the Miki couple’s collection. In it the main character had his wishes granted by a monkey’s paw, but the catch was that each wish came true under some twisted circumstance. It was no secret that Ginsei disliked his face, but he certainly never wished for it to be beaten and bloody! 

“Be careful what you wish for”, the theme of the story was also a perfect description of how he felt at this exact moment. He didn’t need a mirror to know there was some damage. On the plus side, at least he didn’t have to go to the hospital.

“You nose stopped bleeding, but this…” her finger lightly ran over the swollen part of his face just below his left eye, “It’s still the same.”

He held back a groan when Gui’s finger touched the bruised flesh. Why did his face always have to be a source of problems for him?! Ringed fingers tapped a clipped rhythm on cement walls as he pondered how this happened. 

Where did he go wrong? Was it the timing? Or just the fact that Mizuki was the other party?

As much as the performer wanted to blame that feral dog of a teenager, he couldn’t. Ginsei was the adult here, so it was on him to deal with the outcomes.

\---

All of this started the day he came forward about his relationship with Gui. It went well for the most part. A majority of the cast congratulated or praised them for actually expressing their feelings. Akira and Yoshino seemed particularly happy for Gui, who stood by him in silence. Sotetsu made fun of him for being slow before giving him a box of condoms- which he promptly hid before Gui could see. And Kei…well, Kei didn’t do anything but acknowledge them with a simple nod. If it didn’t affect their performances, then the woman couldn’t care any less.

Things were going well, and Ginsei thought he was in the clear. That should’ve been a glaring red flag if he ever saw one.

At the end of the day, the performer barely avoided a nasty surprise. He was preparing to go home when, out of nowhere, Mizuki let out a bloodthirsty war cry and ran at him full speed.

He honestly had no idea what the outcome would be if Gui hadn’t been waiting for him in the same hallway. With a strong tug on his sleeve she moved him out of the way of Mizuki’s surprise dropkick. Day one, and she’d already saved him from what would have been a broken nose and several lost teeth.

Mizuki was back up in an instant. But Gui was faster, getting between him and Ginsei.

“It’s okay, Mizuki.”

“No, it’s fucking not! Move! Now!”

The only other time Ginsei had seen Team B’s leader this angry was when he argued with Rindou. His fists clenched and unclenched. Mizuki’s face had a prominent snarl and his gold eyes sparked like that of a mad dog out for blood.

Gui stood her ground.

“Mizuki, it’s okay. He has a good scent.”

It was a strange thing to say considering Ginsei never wore any scented products. Perhaps it was just his girlfriend’s way of saying he was a good person? Not that it mattered to Mizuki. 

The boy stepped back to wind up for a punch, but was stopped by his team members.

Two people stood in the narrow hallway. The first was Kongou, who held onto the brat’s arms with a vice grip. No matter how much he struggled there was no way for Mizuki to get out of it. Kongou was a former pro-wrestler after all; he’d dealt with far stronger. 

Following him out of the shadows was Heath. The pale, sickly woman didn’t even have to touch Mizuki to calm him down. She said something to him in a soft voice, too soft for Ginsei to hear, and just like that his rage dissipated.

He suspected it had something to do with their little lovers’ quarrel from a few days ago. Ran was pretty loud when he talked, so it wasn’t like Ginsei had been snooping.

Speaking of which, how did Mizuki get a girlfriend before him?! 

There wasn’t any sort of competition, not at all, but Mizuki?! Really?! The hot headed brat who wanted to fight anything that breathed ending up with Heath was just something he couldn’t wrap his head around. She was like his opposite, always calm and cool. In fact, Ginsei hadn’t recalled her even once starting drama since she got here.

Some things in this world he would never understand.

In the moment Kongou and Heath had Mizuki occupied, Gui took Ginsei’s hand and they made their escape.

That night would not be the last time Mizuki tried to kill him. By the end of the week, Ginsei received 12 challenges to a fight, 3 more attempted dropkicks just like the first, and innumerable insults about everything from ‘stupid old man hair’ to being ‘whipped by Kei’.

“Is he ever going to stop? Mizuki’s going to get tired of this at some point...right?” He asked.

She shrugged and gave her standard response. “I don’t know.”

That had him a little concerned. Did this mean he’d be thwarting assassination attempts for the rest of his time at Starless? The thought made Ginsei feel like he just aged a decade and suddenly the brat’s statement about his ‘old man hair’ made sense.

He wanted to hole up in his home and not leave for at least a few days and do nothing but read. However, rent was due soon and he couldn’t skip out on it, could he? Not if he liked having a place to live.

Gui left to finish up some cleaning, and Sotetsu quickly took her place at the bar counter.

“Hey Ginsei.”

Oh no…

“I’m surprised Mizuki hasn’t drawn blood yet.” The man laughed. Ginsei’s frown deepened.

“Not like he hasn’t been trying.”

A large hand clapped down on his shoulder. Today was one of their slower days, so that had to mean Sotetsu was bored. Yoshino warned Ginsei about this; when there was no drama to keep him entertained, Sotetsu would start some himself. 

“Why don’t you try talking to him? You know, man to man.”

“I don’t think that’s going to work.”

If Mizuki had ever been the type to listen and talk things out, they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with. And Ginsei was sad to admit he wasn’t the best at talking to people either. Even at this age, he never felt like he’d quite gotten the hang of communication.

Perhaps that was one of the things that drew him to Gui. The girl was just as lost as he was, if not more. There was a sort of comfort in knowing one wasn’t alone in their confusion.

“Not with that attitude, it won’t.”

The foreboding glint in those amber eyes made Sotetsu look suspicious as hell, and Ginsei could feel his blood pressure going up. He leaned in close to Ginsei’s face, uncomfortably close.

“Here’s a secret, I never would’ve gotten where I am with Yoshino if I hadn’t said something. Do yourself and Gui a favor and talk to Mizuki because he’s not going to get that you’re serious. Unless…” He paused and grinned. “....you want me to?”

That was a firm ‘NO’ from Ginsei.

No matter what, he did not want Sotetsu involved; it just wouldn’t end well.

But his teammate did get one thing right: Mizuki was too thick-skulled to get the message and would keep coming after him. It was better to tell Gui’s self-proclaimed older brother now and stop this before it got out of control...or before the brat got any more violent ideas.

He waited until the end of the day. Logic said Mizuki would be tired after working a full shift, so that meant he was less likely to punch deck Ginsei and start a brawl…..right? He certainly hoped so.

“Ginsei, your hand keeps twitching.”

Although she was free to go home, Gui insisted on coming along, saying something about the strange way Ginsei smelled.

“I’m fine. You don’t have to wait here with me. It’s getting late anyway.” Ginsei threw out a tiny, itty bitty, inconsequential lie.

In reality he didn’t want Gui around to see whatever grand mess this became. He could feel it in his gut that this would end in a fight, and the thought of Gui being pulled in didn’t sit well with him. But like a loyal dog, she stayed and waited with him.

As time passed, Ginsei started to grow antsy. Doubts echoed in his mind; maybe it would be better to do it another day, maybe there was a better idea. On and on his mind went. 

The mental ramblings continued until Gui reached out to hold his hand. Her hand was so small and dainty; her skin was cool, soft to the touch. Without really thinking about it, Ginsei laced their fingers together.

Finally the silence was interrupted when they heard Mizuki say rehearsal was done. His voice was followed by Ran’s saying he was hungry and wanted to go out for a late night snack.

Just get this over with, Ginsei thought to himself. Say what you have to and go from there..

It was with great reluctance he separated his hand from Gui’s and reached for the door handle.

Footsteps became louder as Mizuki was on his way out. Ginsei’s hand grasped the handle, then pulled. 

A loud “ _BANG_ ” echoed down the darkened hallway. Team K’s Number Two was hit hard by a rush of wind and then pain all over his face as he fell to the ground.

Everyone looked down at the performer laying on the floor, clutching his face as blood oozed between his fingers. He tried to keep it cool, but a few swears slipped anyway.

“Oh….shit….” That was all Mizuki said. It was such an unexpected event that Lico and Ran crowded the door to see what was going on. The redhead immediately began laughing as Mizuki stared in awe.

Heath immediately acted and urged both him and Ran to go saying she was hungry too.

“Awww, but what if they fight?” Ran whined. “I don’t want to miss it!! Heath~!”

The pale woman sighed and took Mizuki’s hand to pull him away and he didn’t even resist. He was just dumbfounded by this. For the entire week, Mizuki had been out to beat Ginsei senseless, and every attempt was thwarted by one person or another. To have the victory he wanted come by accident was...odd.

Lico snickered as he stepped over Ginsei and followed Heath and Ran out the door. That only left Kongou behind to deal with the mess.

Gui knelt on the ground beside Ginsei as he clutched at his face in pain. This was the first time she’d seen him bleed and she was curious.

“Come on, let’s some ice on that.”

Being the responsible one here, Kongou didn’t wait for Ginsei to reply before throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of rice and putting him down on the couch of the break area. The man didn’t need to tell Gui to watch him as he went to the kitchen for ice.

Gui watched Ginsei, fascinated with his current appearance, as she waited for Kongou to come back. Occasionally her fingers would just barely grace a bit of red or purple and Ginsei winced when she pressed a little too hard.

“Here, this should help with the split lip.” A small packet of disinfectant landed on the couch along with a bag of ice. Kongou knelt down so he could get a look at Ginsei. “Your nose stopped bleeding already; that’s a good sign. I think you’ll be just fine since it isn’t broken. Just make sure to ice your bruises, alright?”

Gui looked the same as always, but the hand she had resting on Ginsei’s free arm loosen just a bit in relief.

Kongou looked conflicted. At the same time he wanted to apologize and stay to help, he also knew that Heath wouldn’t be able to control both Ran and Mizuki alone if they caused trouble at the restaurant. He muttered an apology on Team B’s behalf and left. The door shut behind Kongou and the entire shop was quiet.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” 

From under the bruising and the pack of ice, Ginsei’s voice sounded nasally and strange. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Gui directly, he was so ashamed. Getting beat up by a kid seven years younger than him with so little effort was embarrassing.

“Why? Did you do something wrong?” Gui tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy; she didn't get it at all. If there was one person in the world more confused when interacting with others, it was certainly her. But that was fine. It was part of her charm. 

She gave Ginsei a kiss that sent stinging pain through his face and licked the cut on his lip.

“Ow...Gui, what’re you doing?” Surely she had to know how much pain he was in?

“Akira told me that kissing things makes it better.” Gui kissed him again. “Is it working?”

The action was so simply adorable Ginsei’s breath caught in his throat. He really, really, really needed to have a word with Akira, and maybe Sotetsu too, about not telling Gui weird things. 

The performer opened his mouth to tell her it wouldn’t do anything, but...when she looked at him like that, his mind went blank.

“...sure.”

And it wasn’t a lie. His face hurt like hell, but his heart did feel better.


	2. No Need for Rescue

The storm clouds outside reflected his mood perfectly as Ginsei fought to keep calm. It’d been weeks since Unei told them about the strange messages concerning Gui left in their surveys and he was no closer to guaranteeing her safety.

At first they seemed like innocent adoration, but as time went on, their tone changed. Praise became requests, then demands, and now threats. Thankfully Unei had been diligent in his review of the surveys or they never would have known until it was too late.

Yesterday he’d tried appealing to Haseyama. However, the owner of Starless was in no mood to be ordered around by Ginsei of all people and he certainly didn’t want to ‘waste any funds protecting an abandoned dog’, as he so plainly stated.

That was why he went to Kei in hopes she would be able to help him, but their conversation seemed to be yielding no results.

“Please Kei, can’t we do something? This is clearly a threat! Someone’s after her!” 

He didn’t mean to raise his voice with Gui being present, but Ginsei’s patience was wearing thin. He couldn’t believe how dismissive she was; this woman he admired so much for her skill and charisma was being far too cold hearted.

She’d read the letter he was holding, seen the disgusting language and intentions its sender had towards Gui, yet TeamK’s leader wasn’t lifting a finger to protect her! It was unfair and hypocritical considering how closely she’d been guarding Saki all this time. 

“Ginsei.” The woman’s voice was powerful, deep and without a trace of anger. Kei commanded absolute obedience as she spoke. “Your concern for her safety is noted; however Gui is no damsel in distress.”

“But-”

“There was a reason I trusted her to protect Saki before,” she continued. “Do you doubt my decisions? If you truly believe she is incapable of defending herself, I suggest reevaluating your relationship.”

Her last words before going back to the restaurant floor echoed in the performer’s mind. Whether Kei knew it or not, she’d just planted a fast growing seed of doubt in him.

Ginsei sat defeated in the hallway. He felt weight on his side as Gui joined in to use his arm as a pillow.

The always glassy eyed girl was calm and unbothered, not even reacting a little bit to the letter's contents or Kei’s words. In a way, he envied her for having steeled nerves.

“I’m sorry, Gui…” His head hung low and his shoulders slumped. Truly, he felt like a useless boyfriend. Someone was threatening to take her away and do all sorts of unspeakable things, yet here he was sulking.

“I don’t understand. It’s just a letter, right? It can’t do anything to me…”

Perhaps sensing that he was in need of affection, Gui turned his face so they were looking at each other. When she pressed her lips to his it felt cold yet soft. That was how it always was. And the realization that Gui was always cool to the touch had Ginsei taking off his sweater and draping it over her shoulders, along with his arm.

Although she didn’t know it, her presence did a great deal for calming his doubts and inner demons. Gui pulled the jacket tighter around her and scooted into his hold.

They could’ve stayed like that forever, just enjoying some peaceful company. But that was cut short when a scream erupted from the changing room.

The girl was out of his arms and racing down the halls in a heartbeat. Ginsei followed, meeting up with Sotetsu and Kokuyou along the way.

When they reached the women’s changing room, Kokuyou threw the door wide open, revealing a ghastly pale Yoshino clinging to Akira. From the looks of it, Akira didn’t seem too bothered. The same couldn’t be said for the timid singer beside her.

Yoshino never looked more small and fragile than right this moment. Her whole body was shaking as she gripped the towel in her hand close to her chest and took fast shallow breaths.

Akira motioned for Sotetsu to come swap places with her. They couldn't leave Yoshino alone when she appeared on the brink of a panic attack; Sotetsu was by her side immediately.

“What the hell was that?” Kokuyou asked.

It didn’t embarrass the singer at all that she was in her underwear for anyone and everyone to see; without a care in the world, Akira strolled out into the hallway and draped herself all over the redhead.

“Someone was peeking into the changing room. At first I thought it might be you.” Her arms went behind his neck as she pressed herself into his torso.

Ginsei had to look away.

Kokuyou grunted in response and put an arm around her waist. “And?”

“Well, obviously it wasn’t. I was on the other side of the lockers so I didn’t see him, but Yoshino says he grabbed her. That’s when she screamed and you came running.”

THis was getting a little...awkward. Ginsei went inside the changing room so they could make sure Yoshino was alright. 

As he was walking away he saw Akira sliding her hand under Kokuyou’s shirt with his peripheral vision. The performer tightened the grip on her hips. Akira whispered something to him, and all Ginsei caught was ‘Mr.Starless’, which was enough for him to tune out the rest.

He didn’t need to know any more than what everyone else knew about their damn sex life.

In the locker room, Sotetsu sat along the wall with one arm on Yoshino’s shoulder and the other rubbing slow, soothing circles on her back.

“That guy didn’t do anything to you did he?” he asked in a softer voice and let her rest on him. It seemed she was calming down now that her teammates were here. “You’ll be okay, I’ll stay here with you.”

And things were getting a little too intimate in here too. The performer immediately shut the door behind him to give them some privacy. 

As he stood in the hall, a thought occurred to him. Ginsei pulled the crumpled threat letter from his pocket and scanned the contents.

His heart sank as he realized it might have been the same person targeting Gui. If she’d gone to the changing room, she might have been grabbed by that pervert. What could he have to help if that happened? Ginsei wasn’t much of a fighter like Sotetsu or Kokuyou. Hell, even Mizuki had a leg up on him, as painful as that was to admit.

“Ginsei looks worried?” Gui was quick to catch on with his facial expression these days. 

“Yeah...to think some pervert was able to sneak back stage and even get into the locker...”

He didn’t expect anything like this happening at all. Who’d have thought being in a relationship would be so full of troubles? Nonetheless, he was determined to keep her safe in any way he could. For the rest of the shift he made sure to keep Gui in his line of sight.

Word spread quickly amongst the staff thanks to Akira, and by the end of the day everyone was on alert.

Something like this had the potential to damage their reputation, and it didn’t sit right with many of the cast that it could end up with a guest getting hurt. No one seemed bothered by the extra precaution. Ran was especially enthusiastic about protecting the Nee-chans who visited him and Mizuki only guarded Heath closer like the rabid dog he was.

When closing time came, Gui was nowhere to be found.

“She probably went to the old Starless,” Kokuyou guessed, just based on what he knew about the quiet girl. “She’s been doing that a lot these days.”

Whoever her Master was, they were important to her, so Ginsei gave up escorting home. He couldn’t bring himself to make her give up hope of their return, even with this stalker prowling around.

Just as the weather report predicted, the skies were covered in thick black clouds and rain fell steadily as he walked to the train station. There was some solace in the fact that it was only a light shower, but Ginsei’s luck turned sour when he reached into his pocket and realized his phone was gone.

“Must’ve left it at Starless….”

Looking at the sky made the frown on his face deepen. Right on cue the rain started to pick up, so Ginsei ran as fast as possible. He turned down a corner to use the employee entrance, just about to open the door when he heard a man’s voice over the rain.

“Why not come with me? I’ll be your Master.”

Farther down the dark alleyway, Gui stood with her back against a wall. Her fair hair and skin was so plainly visible in the night and rain.

Ginsei snuck closer- worried it might have been the pervert sending her letters- and he was able to make out the figure of a man.

His suit was like that of any other salaryman’s and his hair was short, dark. The man spoke in a polite manner as he loomed over Gui, insisting she come with him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was bad news.

“Come on, I can get you whatever you want.” He said and stepped closer to her. The man put his hand under her chin, angling Gui’s head so she had to look into his eyes. “There’s no point in staying here. You look like you enjoy getting ordered around like a dog, so why don’t I be your Master?”

Every word out of his mouth made Ginsei’s blood boil. The way this man spoke was so similar to the disturbing letters, it had to be the same person!

They hadn’t noticed him yet, so he’d have to think fast. This would be his one chance to catch the pervert by surprise and get her out of there. Was there anything nearby he could use as a weapon? What about Starless? Was there anyone still inside who could help? Damn it, by the time he actually finds out, it might be too late!

The man grabbed Gui’s wrist when she tried to leave.

“Let go.” Even in this sort of situation she remained calm.

“What if I don’t? What’re you going to do about it?” 

He held a small knife in his hand that briefly caught the light of a nearby street lamp. If Gui noticed at all, she didn’t show it. 

“I’ve been watching you for a while now. You keep going on about this Master of yours, but he’s not here is he? Isn’t that so cruel of him? Since you want to be dominated and treated like a bitch, just come with me. I promise I’ll treat you so good you never want to leave.”

For a brief moment, Gui looked sad at the mention of her Master’s absence. She’d been waiting so long and still...they weren’t here. That sadness was quickly replaced by determination.

“You’re not Master. I won’t go with you.”

“Well I'm not giving you a choice!”

The man yanked on her arm to make her follow brandishing the knife in her face. 

It was now or never. Even if he didn’t have a weapon, Ginsei had to do something. He refused to stand by as she was being kidnapped!

He leapt out from his place in the shadows and grabbed the back of the man’s collar to pull him away. On instinct the knife swung at Ginsei. Cold metal cut through the palm of his hand. Blood spilled with the wound.

In that moment, the attacker tried to swing the knife in for a second hit. Before he could, Gui was already in action.

She grabbed him by his wrist with her free hand, yanking it forward in a twisting motion. The knife fell to the ground with a clatter, but she wasn’t done yet. Her lithe frame twisted out of his grip and she had the man pinned to the wall with his arms behind him, locked in a rather painful looking position away from Ginsei.

“Only Master gives me orders.” This time her voice sounded different. Cold and devoid of any emotion. it was so different from the soft way she spoke at Starless, he almost didn’t recognize it. “You are not Master.”

Pained grunts came from the man as he struggled against her hold.

Desperate to get out of the lock, the man pushed back with all his body weight; gui let the momentum take him before spinning him back with even more force into the wall. There was a sickening crack as he collided with concrete. Blood spilled from the pervert’s mouth and nose, mixing with filthy water as he passed on the ground.

“Gui! Are you hurt?! Did he cut you?” Ginsei ran over to her as soon as the man was down and pulled her into a tight hug.

“No. I’m alright.”

The rain continued to pour. It soaked through her clothes and chilled her to the bone, but Gui didn’t complain. She never did. She simply returned Ginsei’s embrace, taking in the bit of warmth he offered.

“I thought he was going to hurt you. You have to be more careful, Gui!”

Even while scolding her for confronting that man alone, he couldn’t help holding onto her even tighter. The relief was immeasurable and Ginsei was blown away by her self-defense skills. To be able to take on someone like that was just...amazing.

“Just...don’t make me worried like that again, alright? You don’t have to put yourself in danger.” 

He could feel her nodding in agreement against his chest.

Forget the phone. And the cut on his hand. And the now freezing rain that had them both looking like drowned rats. All Ginsei could think about was how Gui would be alright.

Hand in hand they walked to the station and took the train back to his apartment; neither caring about the strange looks they received on the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first I thought of making Ginsei the knight in shiny armor and having him save her from the stalker. Then I realized he would probably get his ass handed to him. LOL, sorry Ginsei. But in all honesty, I don't believe fem!Gui would ever need saving from a situation like that.
> 
> This scenario really took off, so there's going to be a continuation of it with the next update. I didn't want to make this chapter too long, but there will be fluff to follow up on the more actiony bits.


	3. Sleeping Over

There was a frown on Ginsei’s face as he stared out the window. His fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on the kitchen table.

In a few minutes, Gui would be stepping out of the shower and he was not at all ready for the awkwardness to come.

“Stop it…” he scolded himself. They’d just escaped with their lives from a crazy stalker, and all he could think about was how she’d be spending the night at his apartment, that she was using his shower and body wash, and that soon she’d be wearing his clothes since hers were thoroughly drenched by the rain.

Ginsei felt like a pervert.

He’d been so tense waiting for what would happen when the person sending those letters finally struck, but now that the matter was taken care of, the performer was at a loss what to do. He worried so much about keeping Gui safe, yet she ended up saving him. When it came down to it, his presence did little to help.

The girl’s physical ability and reflexes were on a whole other level; she was able to do parkour like it was nothing, and her dance was immaculate, beautiful. But in a fight, everything felt so different. That brute strength that seemed to come out of nowhere actually had Ginsei scared.

“Maybe I should learn self defense or something….” He sighed, intending to sink into the sofa and pretend he didn’t exist for a while when the bathroom door opened.

“Oh, you’re done? Great, I found some clothes you to tr-”

Ginsei choked on air. Fresh out of the shower and standing in his living room with nothing but a towel wrapped around her thin body was Gui. Water dripped down her long, slender limbs and lavender eyes couldn’t help but follow the trail.

It was hard for him not to stare, partly out of concern for how thin she was, and partly because well… This was Gui, his girlfriend, the sweet taciturn girl who captured his heart with her innocence and unwavering devotion.

His face started to heat up.

“The bath is free. You can go in now.”

Not one to fuss about anything, Gui went to the rack by the door to pick up and examine the clothes she’d be borrowing.

“Uh...Gui….”

“What is it?”

“Your hair, it’s dripping water all over the place,” the young man said, trying his best to not sound flustered. His gaze pointed up towards the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the apartment. “You should dry it off first or you might catch a cold.”

“Okay.”

Ginsei thought she would go back to the bathroom, or grab another towel.

Instead, Gui took off the only thing preserving her modesty. She didn’t think twice about it, and in a mere second she was naked.

Try as he might to be a gentleman, Ginsei still caught a glimpse..

A noise similar to the squawk of a dying seagull filled the apartment. The silver haired performer covered his face and turned around, but it was too late. His eyes already registered what was in front of him for that brief moment. 

Now it was seared into his memory forever.

Gui paused with the towel draped over her head and took a step forward. Having never heard Ginsei make that sort of noise before, she became worried. Maybe he was hurt worse than she thought from their scuffle with her stalker.

“Ginsei...are you okay?”

No, of course he wasn’t! Ginsei wanted to dig a hole, crawl inside it, and die. He was a grown man for crying out loud! So why was he acting like a flustered child?!

“I-I’m fine!”

With his back still turned to her, the performer moved towards the rack of towels, hastily grabbing one and holding it out to Gui. A moment later, she took it from his shaking hand and he heard the sound of it unfolding to wrap around her.

When Ginsei turned around, Gui was no longer naked. A sigh of relief was never more appropriate; his heart could slow down again. But only a little..

“Gui...you shouldn’t do that.”

“Do what?” She tilted her head, looking at him with eyes that sparkled in the low light. “I don’t understand. Wasn’t I supposed to dry my hair?”

“Y-yeah... there’s nothing wrong with that, but you shouldn’t just strip in front of people. Especially a man.”

Gui came even closer to him, and Ginsei’s heart sped up again. At this distance, he could see the droplets of water sliding down her neck and collarbones before disappearing into the towel.

“But….I still don’t get it. Ginsei, you’re my boyfriend, and Akira said it was okay because we’re a couple.”

There was no holding back the exasperated groan. 

Akira. Of course it was that meddling singer’s fault. Ginsei needed to have a serious talk with her about not teaching Gui strange things.

There was nothing he could do about her and Kokuyou; everyone knew what those two did since they could never keep their hands- and other body parts- off each other. It was something he’d just have to accept, but the singer telling Gui to do strange things to supposedly deepen their relationship wasn’t going to slide.

“Listen Gui, I know Akira tells you a lot of things because she’s got uh...experience. But it’s not always the same for every couple. You’re not her, and I’m not Kokuyou, so the things they do….we shouldn’t have to copy.”

He couldn’t tell if she understood, but the girl nodded. Gui put her hand on Ginsei’s face, making it even redder than before.

“Okay. I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t stop her from leaning towards him for a kiss. Her lips touched his own so softly and sweetly that it made Ginsei lightheaded. Their torsos pressed together, only a thin bit of cloth separating bare skin.

Now he really needed to escape before this turned awkward.   


As soon as she pulled away, Ginsei grabbed a towel and raced to the bathroom. 

This was becoming too much. His mind was going places it really shouldn’t and the performer could only hope the shower would wash away those dirty thoughts together with the day’s dirt and grime.

* * *

Ginsei tossed the towel in the laundry basket and got dressed. The warm torrent of water did well to calm his growing urges and keep him from losing his mind entirely, but now it was time to go back to reality. He exited the bathroom with a first aid kit in hand.\

Out in the living room by herself, Gui observed the tiny details of her boyfriend’s apartment. This was the first time she’d ever been inside his home and the girl was fascinated to see how he lived. 

His footsteps on the rug got her attention. Gui eyed the white box he brought back and noticed it was a first aid kit.

“Are you hurt?” Gui asked as she sat down next to him on the sofa. 

Although she was dressed, he still felt nervous with Gui so close. Ginsei saw his clothes just barely hung off her. The collar of that shirt was too wide and low.

Focus on your hand, he reminded himself and opened the first aid kit to prepare the supplies.

“You are hurt…” She said softly and scooted closer to him on the sofa. 

A rough line of dark red spread from one side of his palm to the other. Although it wasn’t deep enough to require stitches, there was always the risk of infection if he didn’t treat it properly. 

“This isn’t anything to worry about. It’s fine. The important part is that you’re safe. I don’t mind a cut or two if that’s what it takes.”

Ginsei had never been one to care much for his looks anyway, so what would a scar do to him?

“Can I help?” 

She traced the jagged cut, sending tingles up his arm, but because Gui’s touch was gentle Ginsei did not feel pain. The girl was so quiet when she asked, but Ginsei couldn’t refuse when he sensed how determined she was to somehow help.

“Sure,” he smiled and let her get to work.

While Gui was gentle, the disinfectant certainly wasn’t. Bits of it seeped into his cut past the dried blood, making him hiss in pain. Still, Ginsei didn’t utter a single complaint as she quietly cleaned the cut and then pat it dry.

In no time his hand was wrapped carefully with white bandages. However the young man couldn’t help the frown on his face.

A large spot of blue and purple in the vague shape of a hand on his girlfriend’s arm was to blame.

It might have only been a bruise, but he hated it and the stalker that left it on her all the same. Just the sight of it made Ginsei’s blood boil.

“Wait, Gui. What about your arm? Does it hurt at all? It is okay?”

“It doesn’t hurt. It’s okay. ...I’ve had worse.”

A chill went through him hearing those words. Immediately the questions he’d been harboring came to mind.

What did she mean by that? Did it have something to do with the person she called Master? No matter how badly he wanted to ask, Ginsei forced himself to keep the questions locked up. Gui would tell him when she felt ready. Although the performer almost wished that day would never come. He wasn’t sure he could handle knowing the truth if that bad feeling gnawing at him turned out to be right.

“That’s good as long as it doesn’t hurt. But take it easy for a while, okay?. I’ll tell Kei to keep you from doing heavy work.”

He stroked her cheek with his bandaged hand. Gui leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Her skin was soft, but cold against his fingers.

“Hey Gui...”

“Hmm?”

“Have you had hot chocolate before? It’s supposed to be cold tonight so...I wanted to make some for you. D-do you want to try it?”

She nodded, and it was with great reluctance that Ginsei separated himself from her. He wished they could’ve stayed close together like that for longer, but that would have to wait.

After some fumbling around in the kitchen and waiting for the water to boil, he returned carrying a tray of cookies and two steaming mugs.

He was just the tiniest bit embarrassed that the first night she spent in his apartment, Gui would be eating snack foods rather than a home cooked meal, but there wasn’t much left for him to work with.

The man hated to admit most of his pantry consisted of instant or snack foods, but he couldn’t help it. Sometimes he got so caught up in his reading that he forgot to eat, so getting convenient food was the best option.

Gui closed her eyes seemingly content to soak in the warmth of the drink in her hands in her hands.

“The smell is sweet…” She took a sip. “It’s good.”

Ginsei found himself letting out a sigh of relief. Seems she liked it, so that meant it wasn’t a total flop for their first night here.

“What’s this? A milk cookie?”

“Yeah they’re pretty good.” He picked up a cookie, enthusiastically opening the package to offer it to her. 

Like a curious puppy, Gui leaned in to smell the delicious cookie, a small smile appeared on her face when she registered the faint smell of milk as well as vanilla.

Ginsei couldn’t help smiling when she took a bite. It was simply too cute the way she ate. But his heart also skipped a beat when her lips lingered at the tips of his fingers.

“It’s sweet too, like the hot chocolate….but it’s different somehow.”

“That’s probably…” Ginsei blushed and had to clear his throat lest his voice crack again. “That’s because this hot chocolate uses a lot of milk in it too. Did you like it?”

Gui nodded and moved to rest her head on his shoulder. Ginsei picked up the book on his table, flipping it open to the last page from his reading. The girl was free to do as she wished while he kept busy with the story.

Time passed quickly.

Gui didn't mind one bit that Ginsei’s focus was on his book. She was just glad to be close to him. The warmth he provided with his touches and the arm around her waist more than enough as she lay there, occasionally snacking on the cookies in front of her.

When it was the two of them alone like this, no words were needed. They understood each other and were content with just the other’s company.

The clock struck midnight.

“Hey, Gui?” He brushed some stray strands out of her face and she looked up at him with a drowsy expression. “Come on, it’s getting late. We should get to sleep.”

They were slow to get up and make their way to the bedroom. Out of fear she would fall asleep on her feet or simply fall over because she looked so tired, Ginsei kept his hold on her waist and led her to his bed.

“The bed is kind of small,” he fibbed. “But you should take it tonight since it’s warmer and you got rained on more than I did.”

“Where will you sleep?”

She crawled under the covers. Ginsei went to grab a spare blanket for the couch, but was stopped short by a hand tugging the edge of his shirt.

“ Ginsei...wait…” 

Gui sat up in his bed with the bed sheet draped over her delicate frame; its soft white color made the fabric look like a veil and her a bride.

“...Is something wrong?”

“You’re not sleeping with me?”

Coming from anyone else, that question would have sounded horribly suggestive. But there was no way she meant it like that because this was Gui talking.

The performer was ready to throw out more flimsy excuses and explain that it wasn’t appropriate for them to share the same bed so soon, but any words of protest died when Ginsei looked into her eyes. He contemplated the choices in silence.

“Alright...but it’s going to be cramped.”

“I don’t mind.”

He shut off the light and slid under the covers next to her. Gui wasted no time snuggling up to Ginsei, leaving him no choice but to hold her tight.

“Good night, Ginsei.”

“Good night,” he replied before kissing her forehead and burying his face in her hair to hide his blush.

The mattress and pillow, the sheets, everything around her smelled like Ginsei, and it put the quiet girl at ease. Lulled in by this warmth and comfort she quickly drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I've not good at writing romance or comedy, so this series is a challenge to my ability and a chance to grow. I hope to get better with each installment!


End file.
